It starts with a contract, not a love story. After a mission in Spain goes wrong, Aleksandra Mikhailovna Dragunova, Moscow's Bratva princess, is ordered to marry the lion of Sicily to stop a war. One wrong deal. One betrayal. One forced marriage between two empires that should never mix... and a slow-burn obsession that could burn them all. Hunted by her own world and driven out of every safe house and city, Aleksandra has one way left to survive: align with the Spadaro family. A ring she never wanted becomes her only shield. Domiziano Massimo Spadaro, Underboss and the heir to the Black Lion's crown, was raised on blood oaths and loyalty. His loyalty is the kind that makes men fear his name more than the law. When the contract lands on his desk, he doesn't see a bride; he sees a liability wrapped in strategy. A Dragunov. A woman he is ordered to claim, never trust. Aleksandra led men who killed at her word and bled at her feet. Her rules were simple: freedom over fairy tales. Power over promises. Control over love. They walk into the marriage as enemies, bound by ink, not choice. They promise themselves one thing: do not fall. ~~~ "He was supposed to be my protection. Not my addiction." ~ Aleksandra Dragunova

"𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐲." ~ Marriage was never for love-it was for legacy. A strategy. A performance. And for the Lombardis and the Morettis, it was the most calculated, showstopping alliance of the century. Roman Moretti, Don of the La Cosa Nostra, and Angeline Lombardi, only daughter of the French-Italian Mafia Capo, had been betrothed since her birth --matched to unite two empires under one crown. Hidden from the world, Angeline was raised to be the perfect wife. Groomed. Silenced. Controlled. She learned early that one misstep would strip her of everything-including her name. Everyone's first mistake? They underestimated her. Though no one had ever seen her, the world assumed the Lombardi Princess was a polished doll. Quiet. Disposable. Roman saw the marriage as a formality-another calculated step toward total dominance. He had no plans to love her. No plans to live with her. Just a wife on paper, tucked away from him elsewhere, summoned when needed for appearances. But everything changed the moment he saw her walking down the aisle. She was perfection. Untouchable. She would be his ruin, his weakness, his obsession, his motivation. His everything. But what if that had been her plan all along? Not everything buried stays dead. Not every identity is what it seems. In a world where saints become monsters and monsters are worshipped like gods, Angeline must decide what's worth saving: her bloodline, her love, or herself. ~ -HEA -18+ -Romance/mystery/thriller -No Cheating/OWD -DARK ROMANCE "OMYGOSH. This book was immaculate. I could NOT put it down at all. Every chapter was AMAZING, the writing is shakespears work and each chapter made me laugh, smile, cry so much and this whole thing was a rollercoaster of emotions." -@Sunfloweraate8